Kevin Costner's company has finally been allowed to send their oil-skimming vessel to help clean up some of the oil from the Gulf of Mexico.

The vessel, known as Ella G, had once been an offshore supply barge and has now been refitted to skim and separate the oil that is currently spilling from BP's blown-out well. The machine is said to place the the scooped-up oil in storage tanks and return the cleaned water to the Gulf. It offers several advantages that previous skimmers were unable to do, such as stay at sea indefinitely and skim in areas up to 10 feet.

Costner has invested 15 years and about $24 million in developing the oil separator. Before the ship's launch on Thursday, he told workers and visitors, "the machine I once dreamed of is here to help you."

This is fantastic news and we hope a huge step in the oil spill clean up.

I hope it works and I'm thnakful someone is finally doing something about it (besides of the volunteers at the actial beach who are cleaning the shore and rescuing animals) But I think the gov. should be ashamed that AN ACTOR is the one who is stepping up and really doing something!

If that thing woks, i think we all need to run out and buy a copy of "waterworld" as a big thank you. Hope it does work. Way to go Kevin. Putting your money where your mouth is. You should send your resume over to BP to replace Tony Hayward. You seem like your much more capable of getting things done.

Dear Kevin Costner,
About 10 years ago, I recognized you in your car at the stop light in White Plains. You were standing right next to my car waiting at the traffic light. I turned and looked and said, oh my God!, that Kevin Costner! You tried to act like a normal, regular guy. But your not! Not everyone can invest such money in an unselfish dream. Most people who have money are materialistic. Love you Kevin Costner. I am happy your dream is here to help us.

You know whats sad and I am no way insulting Costner in this since I think it's wonderful he is doing this but the fact a celebrity might have found a way to help this situation while our own government still cant figure it out. I would have thought our government would have come up with all kinds of disaster plans for oils rigs but yet, here we are. A celebrity has been been working on this for years upon years, using his own money and he has a better idea then the people we entrust to help us in crisis. This is scary. Maybe we should rely on more celeb's since a lot of them seem to help the american people more. I hate to be this way too since I a normally not so cynical but after being laid off and still trying to find a job 8 months later I have become a little more harsh. Good luck to Costner and even if it doesnt work out, thank god for people like him who are at least giving it their all!

Re: Leelou77 – not sure what to do with that except to refer you to private industry and capitalism… that's where some of these wonderful breakthroughs show up, not in government. Government would have to have their priorities pretty straightened out to do something like this. Unfortunately, I don't think that'll happen in my lifetime, so please let private industry live on and thrive! Any word on whether or not his machine is working at all?

Zayn previewed the duet by posting a black and white pic of himself with Swifty on his Instagram -- but hey, she is bestiez with his girlfriend Gigi Hadid, so it wouldn't be unusual that they hang out... But collab?!